Shocking footage shows the moment a shirtless man was bitten by an aggressive police dog as he was being arrested.

Police are investigating after a video emerged of the man apparently being bitten in the neck in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset.

Officers were called to the Regent Street area of the seaside town in the early hours of Saturday when the man was bitten as he lay on the ground.

Assistant chief constable Louisa Rolfe of Avon and Somerset Police said: ‘We are aware of a YouTube clip and comments on social media channels about this incident.

‘The incident has been referred to our professional standards department for thorough investigation as we are keen to understand what happened. The YouTube clip is only a few seconds long and doesn’t show events before or after the arrest.

‘As this is a live investigation, it would be wrong to comment further.

‘We are appealing for anyone who saw this incident to call our professional standards department via the 24-hour police enquiry centre on 101.’